On the 18th of August 1993, an American cargo plane on approach to Guantanamo Bay suddenly rolled over and crashed to the ground, sending a huge fireball rising over the secretive naval base. Fire crews rushing to the scene found the DC-8 consumed in flames — except for the cockpit, in which all three crew […]
Flight Deck
Why is engine power cut back shortly after taking off?
Why is engine power cut back shortly after taking off? Takeoff is the scariest part of flying to me, and suddenly, only seconds after leaving the ground, it feels like the plane is falling. Power is not cut back seconds after take off. I imagine what you are feeling, the sensation of falling is this: […]
Ethiopian Airlines 737 fell asleep at 37,000 feet overflew the airport in flight
Crew fatigue is likely more of a risk now than ever. This week both pilots of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 fell asleep at 37,000 feet overflew the airport in flight and were woken up by the autopilot disconnecting. Boeing 737-800 ET-AOB was at 37,000 ft at FL370 when it was supposed to start the descent […]
Jeff Skiles: The “Miracle On The Hudson” Co-Pilot Who Rescued US Airways Flight 1549
Captain Sully didn’t land his flight on the Hudson River by himself — he had the help of a very talented co-pilot named Jeff Skiles. When people think of the emergency plane landing into the Hudson River known as the “Miracle on the Hudson”, people usually think of Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger — the pilot of US […]
Lessons Learned from the Tenerife Airport Disaster
A terrorist incident at Gran Canaria Airport had caused many flights to be diverted to Los Rodeos, including the two aircraft involved in the accident. The airport quickly became congested with parked airplanes blocking the only taxiway and forcing departing aircraft to taxi on the runway instead. Patches of thick fog were drifting across the […]